Four-try Spalding sparks Bromsgrove back to winning ways

ED SPALDING started and finished a try-scoring feast as Bromsgrove bounced back to form by sweeping aside Sandbach at Finstall Park.

Spalding scored four tries and had a hand in two more as they rattled up their biggest points tally of the season to record an entertaining win after back-to-back defeats.

While Spalding led the scoring, Harry Anderson-Brown showed his versatility with a solid performance at full-back, using the win very well to push the Boars into Sandbach territory.

It took just three minutes for Spalding to open his account after a poor kick was charged down. James Upton kicked the conversion.

Soon it was 12-0 when Spalding stripped the ball on the home 22-metre line and sprinted 75 metres to the tryline.

A Fraser Gill try, converted by George Bordill, cut the deficit, only for Spalding to complete his hat-trick after muscling past the visitors’ tacklers to score on the left after the ball was moved left from a lineout.

Both teams were playing an exciting style of rugby, and looking to run the ball when the opportunity came and Sandbach grabbed the next score when Mark Bird dotted down. Bordill’s conversion and penalty meant they trailed by just two points just before half-time but Bromsgrove hit back straight away to open a 24-17 lead, with Anderson-Brown finishing off a great move having been handed the ball by Spalding having beaten his man convincingly once again.

Anderson-Brown started the second half as he endedthe first by scoring a great team try. Phil Horton carried well, passed to Spalding who bustled passed his opponent and invited his full back through the open door to the try line.

Upton kicked the extra two points to stretch the lead to 31-17 and then booted a penalty kick when a Sandbach player refused to roll away in time.

Bromsgrove were forced to bring on Woodward when Matt Edgar suffered an ankle injury eight minutes into the second half. It didn’t seem to dent the forward drive, however, and with Jamie Atkins accurate throwing in the windy conditions Bromsgrove drove powerfully towards the visitors line.

From the excellent drive captain Horton crashed over for a well-deserved try. Into the stiff breeze, Upton squeezed his conversion over.

Three minutes later, Sandbach’s Rich Murray went over and Bordhill converted to cut the home lead to 41-24.

Upton’s penalty kept the scoreboard ticking over but back came Sandbach with a super move by Dan Stubbs on 71 minutes, again converted by Bordhill to reduce their arrears.

Sandbach were in all out attack, but let the ball slip and Bache took the stolen ball deep into the Sandbach half. He was caught as he tried to cut inside, but the ball once again found its way into the hands of Spalding who again raced past his opponent.

Upton’s conversion to the Boars’ score past 50 points but there was still time for Liam Carpenter to score Sandbach’s fifth try with Bordhill continuing his 100 per cent kicking rate with the conversion.

On Saturday, fourth-placed Bromsgrove travel to Scunthorpe, the team immediately above them in the table.

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